Eagle Bluff wildfire now 2,260 hectares, crews test new night-vision tech

An out-of-control wildfire burning about 10 kilometres north of Oliver, B.C., continues to grow, now covering about 2,260 hectares.

About 250 properties remain under an evacuation alert, and a smoky skies advisory is in place for the region.

Part of the growth in size has come from controlled ignitions the BC Wildfire Service has been conducting throughout the week to try and pull the fire away from steep cliffs and into areas where crews can more effectively fight it.

The fire also continues to burn away from communities, according to the service.

“It is still defined as out of control,” said deputy incident commander Scott Rennick.

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“But with these controlled ignitions and the guards we’re putting on the west and the south flank, we’re establishing more and more containment and control of the fire.”

There were 180 firefighters and 19 pieces of heavy equipment, along with helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, on the scene Friday.

Crews worked throughout the night. Rennick said they were able to bring the fire down towards a control line and begin extinguishing some parts of it.

2:06 The Eagle Bluff wildfire is expected to continue to grow over the weekend.

READ MORE: Eagle Bluff wildfire more than doubles in size, evacuation alert expanded

Overnight helicopter crews have also been operating a pilot project using night-vision goggles, part of a pilot project the wildfire service started this summer.

WATCH: Thunderstorms forecast for region where Eagle Bluff wildfire is burning

2:27 Thunderstorms forecast for region where Eagle Bluff wildfire is burning

“We can usually only fly during the daytime through visual references, but now at night it allows us a bit of extra time to give us a better idea of what the fire is going to be like in the morning.”

Crews were focusing Friday’s efforts on the fire’s south and west flanks, which are closest to nearby communities.

https://twitter.com/Shelby_Thom/status/1159896483371503616

They have been dealing with difficult conditions — including blazing heat, with temperatures reaching 39 C at one point on Thursday.

The Okanagan Correctional Centre, a provincially operated jail, is also within the evacuation alert zone, and the union representing jail guards said about 100 high-risk prisoners were moved out of the facility on Tuesday evening. An estimated 200 inmates remained on the site as of Wednesday.

Tourism operators in the area are also trying to get the word out that their businesses in Oliver, Osoyoos and Okanagan Falls are not threatened by the fire, which is burning in the hills above.